751G.00/5–3154: Telegram
The Chargé at Saigon (McClintock) to the Department of State
2603. Repeated information Geneva 176, Paris 924, London 71, Hanoi unnumbered. Yesterday Second Secretary Goodman and I visited De Lanessan Hospital in Hanoi which is main base hospital for all Tonkin area. We visited every wounded man in hospital with exception of those who could not receive visitors, and gave them cigarettes. We were able to talk with a number of wounded from Dien Bien Phu including a medical lieutenant and a non-commissioned officer who gave us intelligent replies to questions re Viet Minh psychological warfare techniques, at least as displayed at Dien Bien Phu.
Both officers and men, including French parachutists and German and Austrian legionnaires, concurred that there had been a continuous [Page 1645] loudspeaker campaign in closing days of battle, garrison being exhorted in Arabic, German, Hungarian and French to believe that Viet Minh did not wish to continue useless fighting, that garrison should surrender, and that it would be well treated following capitulation.
As for report that Viet Minh had cadres of European and Japanese officers, evacuees agreed that there had probably been some Moroccan, German, possibly Czechoslovakian, and certainly Japanese officers in Viet Minh ranks, but they would not give assurances that these officers came in from outside. In fact Cogny and others were inclined to believe that with exception of Japanese, these men were renegade deserters from Foreign Legion who had gone over to Viet Minh.
Following fall of Dien Bien Phu French wounded were treated with better care than Viet Minh wounded. Viet Minh medical teams did utmost to alleviate plight of French wounded, gave the men cigarettes and candy, and stressed theme that there was no rancour against French garrison but merely an overwhelming national desire that French and foreign troops be withdrawn from Vietnam. Theme was “we want peace even more than you do but we will fight until you leave our country”.
Governor Tri separately informed us that when French Dr. Huard, chief negotiator for evacuation of wounded, spent several nights at Dien Bien Phu, he encountered similar attitude on part of Viet Minh officers with whom he dealt. Tri seemed inclined to attach importance to asserted desire of Viet Minh for speedy cease-fire and armistice, but in his mood which is now verging toward despair I think he is grasping at straws.
At Dien Bien Phu there was immediate resort to propaganda techniques such as motion pictures of Berlin conference and May Day parade in Moscow, private conversations by French-speaking Viet Minh, and distribution of propaganda pamphlets. However, there was no attempt to proselytize among officer prisoners. Main technique was use of uniform attitudes of compassion and courtesy to establish in mind of wounded that Viet Minh are a civilized and honorable foe. Possibly had wounded remained longer in Viet Minh hands more typical brain washing techniques would have been tried, but within limit of 8 days Communist command undoubtedly thought more subtle approach was justified.
At least among evacuees from Dien Bien Phu with whom we spoke these techniques appeared to have made little impression.
Although some 48 Vietnamese wounded had been evacuated from Dien Bien Phu, largely because they were so seriously wounded (including two basket cases) also prevent their being removed by Viet Minh, main theme taken by Viet Minh at Dien Bien Phu re Vietnamese wounded (and other Vietnamese troops) there was that they [Page 1646] were brothers who now at last had been liberated from servitude in a foreign army, and thus, of course, could not be given up.
Colonel commanding hospital told us that in his estimate all of French severely wounded had been recovered. He thought there must be at least 1000 more walking wounded who had been taken prisoner. He said that there were fully as many Vietnamese wounded as French. This would place French estimate of total wounded at Dien Bien Phu at around 3600 men.